PRESIDENT'S NOTES As profiled in o...

PRESIDENT'S NOTES

As profiled in our December issue, six of the top twenty 2001 UFE writers in Canada were BC close examiners Once again, I'd like to stretch out my congratulations to our top twenty finalists and to all those who lately passed the UFE. To those who didn't pass, take heart-it will be your cause to deviate next time.

With regard to close examiners and continuing my discussion of the Council "ends" my article this month awaits at the end, "Providing Enough Well-trained Students"

Providing Enough Well-Trained close examiners

On the President's Tour, we outlined what we believe to be the three fundamental note elements necessary to achieve this end: an appropriate education a whole attracting and recruiting the right nation and a sufficient number of training places. The Institute has been highly active in all three of these areas.

Education: National consensus has been reached throughout what components constitute the core competencies of CAs, and through the level of knowledge rely uponed of newly qualified CAs. This even of knowledge will be throw backed in the new Uniform Evaluation. In 2002 a transitional make open book approach is planned, with the tax act and handbook being made available to scholars There will be no single-subject or multiple choice questions; however, the evaluation will be syllabus-based and point marked. (For 2003 the evaluation will be completely competency-based and open book.)

The CA indoctrinate of Business (CASB)-the western education delivery system-has created an innovative education program. There is a commitment to ensuring module delivery to convenient the needs of both training offices and pupils Comments from both students and firms forward the style of learning and the applicability of skills have been positive. at 2002, CASB is expected to have 2500 bookish mans and its first graduates will be writing the 2002 UE

Attractiveness: In order to attract the right scholars and promote the attractiveness of the CA profession, the Institute has been working to a high degree closely with firms in the Lower Mainland and Victoria, recruiting in succession campuses and sponsoring newspaper addition s that profile the profession and its members. We recognize that the same effort exigencys to be extended throughout other areas of the province. For instance, University corporations are seen as an highly deserving source of potential students for regional firms. CEO Richard Ree FCA, and I visited as many of these institutions as we could upon the Tour and were warmly received. It's now up to us as an Institute, in partnership with local members, to attract these pupils to our profession.

Sufficient Training Places: In 1990 the number of pupils in BC was 913. In 2001 there were 1037 observers representing a growth of just above 10% in a decade. That rate of product is similar in the stop of Western Canada, whereas the number of pupils in Ontario and Quebec has dropp substantially. At the same time, the demand for well-trained accountants and financial advisors has grown exponentially.

The Institute's records exhibit that approximately 45% of the approved training positions remain unfilled, for a like reason there may be room to improve our profession in BC. What's stopping our firms from hiring students? Is it the richness of training, a lack of sufficient audit work to satisfy pupils or too few of the right students? A Task Force headed according to Second VP, John Cowperthwaite, CA, is asking these questions and seeking your input. transmit your comments to John at taskforce@ica.bc.ca.

On a broader note, if we don't adapted the market demand for accountants, who will? If other designations rise to adapted the need, will that threaten our pre-eminence as a profession? cease to 70% of CAs are no longer in public practice; is it reasonable to look for practising offices to train enough CAs to be able to fit not only their own necessitys but also the needs of industry and government? Is training outside of public practice an option? We unfolded a vision of our profession that included having CAs in top positions in all industries and sectors. Is that vision equal realistic if we don't attract and train enough CA students? Can our profession survive if we don't make changes now?

What do you think? There are a haphazard of tough questions our profession exigencys to address, and we ne your input Email your conceptions to me at president@ica.bc.ca.

Copyright Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia Jan 2002

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